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Newly installed spiritual leader of the Shas movement Rabbi Shalom Cohen wrote a letter earlier this month in which he effectively banned women from participating in academic studies, saying it contradicts the Torah.

The haredi news website Kikar Hashabat published on Monday a leaked brief position paper issued by Cohen in his capacity as the president of the Shas Council of Torah Sages in which he expressed his opinion that teachers and subject matter in academic institutions are not commensurate with the values and principles of the Torah.

"The great rabbis totally opposed academic studies even in haredi institutions since a significant portion of the lecturers are university graduates who do not hold the perspectives of the holy Torah in which we were educated," Cohen wrote.

"Similarly, the subject matter in colleges is based on research and scientific methods which contradict the Torah," he continued.

"Therefore female [high-school] students should not even think about undertaking academic studies in any framework, because this is not the way of the Torah." The Hiddush religious freedom lobbying group denounced Cohen’s position, saying he was breaking new records for religious zealotry.

"Shas under Rabbi Shalom Cohen prefers to guarantee that graduates of its institutions remain in poverty and ignorance," said Hiddush director and reform rabbi Uri Regev.